hillman imp valve stem oil seals

[nightrunner]

can anybody tell me if there is supposed to be valve stem oil seals fitted to hillman imps, i have just bought a full head gasket set and there are no oilseals in it, the haines manual says that there is on inlet valves only but on stripping the head there are none fitted, i have checked with the supplier of the gasket set and they also say no, also the manual has photos of the valve and spring assembly and shows only one spring, but on stripping the valves there is two springs, one inside the other, HELP.

[AlBags]

The Sunbeam Stilleto and Singer Chamois versions were tweaked with carbs, head mods (I think) and may have incorporated a different cam and therefore double springs.
Fitting a set of inlet stem seals will do no harm a all .. I expect they are steel guides pressed into the alloy head.
The engine (as you are probably aware) is derived from the old Coventry Climax engine .. so there are going to be a lot of variations. You know .. the RAF even use that engine in their low armament loaders. They were always repairing them! Long time since I worked on or drove any Imp, Chamois or Stiletto : )
If I were you, I'd ask one of the club folks.

[AlBags]

PS (Fitting Inlet stem seals dependent on the giude supporting this, of course ... most seals push tightly over the nose of the guide)

[RATTER15]

Did any of them actually survive without the head gasket blowing? Bloody things lol!!

[AlBags]

Yep .. done a few of them .. clamping down the liners and all that jazz. Very advanced engines in their time. Unfortunately cooling probs made them very unreliable!

[sddsddean]

Oh happy memories!! Removing the engine and transaxle with a jack on a roller skate! Health and Safety...pah! Not surprised they had cooling problems...27 feet of hose if I remember correctly. I used to borrow my mates Imp. We had a racing exhaust, twin carbs and a racing head on it. Beat the pants off a Porsche up the M40. Most common thing we had to do was change the speedo cable, 'cos when it hit the peg at 90 it broke! I still think the best feature was on a nice summers day bombing down the road with the rear window open and acting like a rear wing!

[AlBags]

Oh yes .. the rear window opened like a caravan .. didn't it?!

[sddsddean]

Like this
http://upload.wikimed....white.arp.750pix.jpg

[horseshoes]

Just popped on here to say there was a Imp gathering near me last week(Bangor North Wales) did you go?.

[AlBags]

lol ... Yes
Whatever made them think a car needed a rear window like that, I will never understand! : )